Resting my arms on the table, rage boiled up inside me, because one thing I didn't appreciate being was a fool. The idea of someone trying to place seeds of doubt about Don didn’t even enter my mind when I got news about Radmir. “Which means whoever is behind this has something against both of us.” Threading my fingers through my hair in frustration, I pointed out, “It’s not safe for Rosa to go back to the States right now.”
“Yeah, I highly doubt we have a mole in our system. It all goes back to there. We have a better chance of protecting you both in Moscow.”
The fucker who created a war between Don and me better fucking pray, because I would show him no mercy once I found out who he was.
Fuck with whomever you want, but don’t fuck with the Bratva.
And fucking never fuck with the pakhan’s woman.
After I finished telling her the story, she sat down from the weight of it. “But why would anyone do this?” Her voice held disbelief.
“We don’t know, but then it’s the Cosa Nostra and the Bratva we are talking about. Explanations might be endless. Our priority right now is to keep you safe, along with everyone else.” By the grim expression on her face, she didn't much like it, but tough shit. I would never jeopardize her safety. “Your dad would want it.” She turned her head to the side, as a single tear run down the bridge of her nose into the soft white sheets.
“Right. Business comes first.” Her angry murmur stung, but nevertheless, I couldn't argue with it.
Unfortunately, in the mafia world, business had to come first; otherwise, it could kill you.
“Rosa—”
“I’d like to clean up and stay alone for the time being.” Everything inside me rebelled at the idea. I didn’t want to leave my female when her heart so clearly was shattered by the information she got from me. Judging by the crazy look in her eyes, she was on the edge of hysteria, and the last thing we needed was for her to lose her shit.
“Clothes for you are in the closet.” Her brows rose in surprise. “Thank Michael later.” The last part came off as an order, and before I screwed up anymore shit, I spun around to the door. But she stopped me, wrapped her arm around my waist, and rested her cheek on my shoulder blade. She seemed to be absorbing my strength into every bone in her body so she could breathe easier and deal with the problems better. We stood there without saying anything. She finally kissed my back, and then, with a sigh, she disappeared into the bathroom.
Rosa
My eyes were numb from crying. Sitting on the lid of the toilet, I realized that no matter how hard I tried to control my emotions, I just couldn’t. I wanted to be closer to Dad, so he’d have comfort knowing I hadn't abandoned him, but if what Dominic thought was true, we couldn't risk it. Dad would have been the first one to stop me from returning to the States.
Getting up with a disappointed sigh, I cleaned the fog off the mirror and studied my reflection. Droplets of water from my wet hair splashed down on my collarbone, which was covered in marks from Dom’s nips. My lips were red after our kisses, and my eyes were glazed.
I looked just like a woman in the throes of lust except for the traces of sadness on my face. What happened earlier in the bedroom… not even our garden encounter affected me so much. I was certain I was having an out-of-body experience where every small touch from Dominic pushed me deeper and deeper into the land where only pleasure and an electrifying connection between us existed. If he wanted to take my virginity right there, I’d have let him. And the sight of his cock…
Okay, so I googled naked guys, because, hey, a girl was curious. Watching porn felt weird and kind of made me fear sex more, but pics worked. But seriously, his was big, and well… big. I simply had no other words for it, and I seriously doubted it could fit inside, and I burst out laughing, because wasn't it such a cliché thought? All heroines in romance novels said the same thing, but they were proven wrong. So, I’d just shove my nerves aside, and do it when it was time for sex.
If ever.
Quickly finishing up, I found jeans and a black T-shirt inside the closet, surprisingly in my size. No shoes were in sight, so I’d use the ones I came in. Critically scanning my appearance one last time, I rushed to the main cabin. Michael wore headphones and clicked hectically on his laptop while his photo camera’s wire stayed attached in a USB port.
Vitya read some papers while Dom sipped whiskey, listening to the news from the flat screen TV.
All the men paused what they were doing and snapped their attention to me. Their eyes unsettled me, so I walked to Dom, sat on his lap, resting my butt near his groin while my legs extended onto the next chair, and nuzzled his neck, enjoying his masculine scent, which reminded me of cigarettes and expensive cologne—even though he never smoked, or at least, not in front of me.
Resisting this man was useless, so why not embrace the feeling? Michael raised two thumbs, while Vitya approved with a chin lift. Dom froze for a moment, but then his arm circled me, and everyone continued their business.
Russia.
In a few hours we’d be there, in a country I’d never been to before but heard so much about. Visiting was one thing, but I had to love it enough to live in it. And this scared me the most.
What if I could never love Russia, or worse… the Bratva?
Man with the dragon tattoo
Lying in a warm pool of blood as my nose greedily inhaled the smell of sex, I watched the fruits of my art through a haze of smoke from the joint in my mouth.
Limbs scattered around the floor, removed eyes and fingers in glass cups, and finally two lifeless bodies, or what was left of them anyway.
Fantastic night. This was supposed to be my celebration party. Instead, Don was fucking alive, so once again, I would have to act a role for him. Loud sobs from the woman lying on my shoulder disturbed my nirvana. “Please stop doing it,” she said with a fear-coated, trembling voice, making my dick stir in the process. Too bad, it was too sore for any more performance, or I’d have fucked her ass raw.
Bianca. Bianca.
